Nicomachean Ethics

Aristotle

Book V

Book VI, page 2

page 1 of 3

Summary

We have been told that virtue comes about by choosing
a mean between vicious extremes according to the right principle.
This is only as helpful as telling a sick person that health comes
about by choosing medicine according to what a doctor might prescribe. That
is, we have no helpful understanding of virtue until we learn what
this right principle is. To learn about the right principle, we must
examine the intellectual virtues.

The soul is divided into a rational part and an irrational
part. The rational part can be further divided into a contemplative
part, which studies the invariable truths of science and mathematics,
and a calculative part, which deals with the practical matters
of human life. Right reasoning with respect to the contemplative
intellect corresponds to truth. With the practical intellect,
right reasoning corresponds to proper deliberation that leads to
making the right choice.

There are five intellectual virtues by which the soul
arrives at truth. First, scientific knowledge arrives at eternal
truths by means of deduction or induction. Second, art or technical
skill involves production according to proper reasoning. Third,
prudence or practical wisdom helps us to pursue the good life generally.
Fourth, intuition helps us to grasp first principles from which
we derive scientific truths. Fifth, wisdom is a combination of scientific
knowledge and intuition, which helps us arrive at the highest truths
of all. Political science is a species of prudence, since it involves
ensuring the good life for an entire city.

Resourcefulness, or good deliberation, is not
the same thing as scientific knowledge, opinion, or conjecture.
It is a process that helps achieve the ends envisaged by prudence.
Understanding is a form of judgment regarding practical matters,
which helps us determine what is equitable. Judgment, understanding,
prudence, and intuition are all natural gifts that help us determine
the right course of action.

The intellectual virtues help us to know what is just
and admirable, and the moral virtues help us to do just and admirable
deeds. We might wonder what value the intellectual virtues have,
then, since knowledge is useless without action. First, the intellectual
virtues lead to happiness, and so are ends in themselves. Second,
the intellectual virtues help us determine the best means to the
ends at which the moral virtues teach us to aim. Without prudence
and cleverness, a well-disposed person can never be truly virtuous,
because these intellectual virtues help us grasp the right principles
of action.

Analysis

At the beginning of Book II, Aristotle distinguishes between
moral virtues, which we learn through habit and practice, and intellectual virtues,
which we learn through instruction. Books II to V deal with the
moral virtues. Book VI turns to intellectual virtues.

The author of this commentary claims that Aristotle's "concept of distributive justice is meant to ensure that the greatest privilege go to those male aristocrats who exhibit the greatest virtue rather than to those who have the greatest wealth, the greatest military strength, or the most friends." This claim is superficial and grossly misleading. We need to approach books by trying to understand them as the author understands them, and in this case Aristotle articulates a principle of justice, called merit, that transcends gender and socia

Thanks for the good article.
To the previous poster: Can you explain where you see that Aristotle's principle is meant by the author to transcend gender etc.? I am especially confused by this because you state that we should not read the book as it might be interpreted, but as the author intended it to be interpreted (if I got you right). Doesn't it seem highly unlikely that someone like Aristotle would include anyone but citizens of the polis in his considerations? Do you have any citation that would support Aristotle including women ... Read more→